W3C Issues Best Practices to Create Smarter Mobile Web Applications

http://www.w3.org/ -- 14 December 2010 --
W3C today announced a new standard that will make it easier for developers and
content providers to create dynamic mobile Web applications. The Mobile Web Application
Best Practices, published as a W3C Recommendation, offers practical advice
from many mobile Web stakeholders for the easy development and the deployment
of mobile Web applications that work across many platforms.

“I am very excited about this document, which I've already used myself to
ensure that the W3C Cheat
Sheet, a mobile Web application, works not just on mobile devices, but on
all devices,” said Dominique Hazaël-Massieux, W3C Mobile Web Initiative
Lead. “These guidelines include sound advice from real-world Web apps
developers, telcos, and browser vendors.”

Mobile Web Applications Have a Bright Future

Application designers value the ability to write code once and have it work
in multiple environments. The rapid growth of the market for mobile
applications has increased the appeal of using the Web as development platform
on these devices as well; that point is made in a white
paper from a GIA analyst. Web applications are already replacing native
applications in many computers, and we expect a similar trend on mobile devices
in the near future since the Web platform addresses the fragmentation issues so
familiar to mobile developers. The Web also makes it fast and easy to deploy
and update applications without requiring any intervention of the user, and
enables seamless integration of cloud-based services. Users, too, recognize
the value of Web-based applications.

Clear Guidelines for Full Integration in W3C's Open Web Platform

With the ongoing work in the HTML5, CSS3, SVG, and WAI-ARIA Working Groups, the Web is
catching up quickly with the ability to build a superior user interface. This
concerted work drives innovations and new usages that only the Web platform
enables. W3C is creating an even more powerful platform for developers,
including better hardware and sensors integration. The Web Applications, Web Notifications, Web Events, Device APIs and Policy, and Geolocation Working Groups are
bringing a wealth of JavaScript APIs that
will reduce the gap between Web and native applications in the coming months
and years.

Mobile Web Application Best Practices offers guidance on which Web
technologies are particularly relevant on mobile devices. The guidelines also
indicate how to design Web applications that are responsive to their usage
context, while sparing the network and optimizing response time to
significantly boost the overall mobile user experience.